Shift to Low-Def TV by Older Guys ?

[MarkAnderson]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

About every hi-def TV to me seems like it has all the controls turned up "all the way to 11"- the color's too colorful, the image is too sharp, the whole business is "Dolly Parton"- too much too much. And motion scenes look weird- they "tear" or something, just don't look quite right. But then I'm an old poop, wish this whole HDTV nonsense would just go away.

Took the words right out of my mouth, Sandy.


Damn! I'm posting in a TV forum. I've obviously lost my way.

[YamahaFreak]

Originally Posted by MarkAnderson

Took the words right out of my mouth, Sandy.


Damn! I'm posting in a TV forum. I've obviously lost my way.

[Kiwick]

Originally Posted by Chad Hauris

Also the flat panel sets have not shown up at all at Texas Recycles day...so at least in this community their failure rate seems fairly low, just based on the low apparent level of discarded sets.

One possible reason is that broken flat panel TVs are still worth a lot of money as part donors, so instead of being scrapped, they're coming up on Ebay or are sold to repair shops.

Wait a few years, sooner or later they'll become obsolete and they'll begin to show up on the curb too... i just can't wait to see how they mate with a brick

[Earlsays]

I'm not sure what I tihnk of them...quite a few of my friends have them...either I like the way they look, or can't stand it. The Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic seem to be pleasing to look at, according to my eyes. All the other brands, especially the super inexpensive low-end stuff just looks HORRID to me.

I have some friends who have a 60" or something Sony ?XBR? I think? It's a nice TV, however, something just isn't right about it, I can't put my finger on it, but the set is fatigueing to look at after a while...that and they have direct TV, and I can't stand their menu/guide layout at all! I prefer dish...

My mom & dad bought a 42" Sanyo a couple years ago...I didn't like it at all from the first time I saw it...blurry image, washed out colors, just terrible They 27" Fisher from 1991 and the 27" Zenith from 1995 where FAR better, IMO. I got a call from my mom back in august or so...The Fisher apperantly finally bit the big one--just one white line down the center (horizontal) of the TV...and the Sanyo flat screen was displaying nothing but a couple werid color test pattern type things, or dots or something...I took this as an oppertunity to say too bad about the CRT, and to tell her what I REALLY thought about their Sanyo...of course I know nothing about HD sets, so I can't say much...

I have been rather impressed with the Sony Wega CRT TV's that where introduced around 1999-2000 I want one, those are nice. I think so anyway.

And rear-projection big screens, while they have improved considerably over the years, are still a big pain to watch....

I have two TV's...a 13" color unit from SEARS manufactured in 1983 or so that I've never even plugged in, and probably never will. I also have a 20" color montgomery ward that I've used a little for LD viewing...both of these given to me...the main reason I won't use either one of these is because they only have UHF/Coax in on the back, and that is all they have...I know there are converter boxes to use to plug an RCA signal into, but still gonna just save for a nice TV...be it CRT or flat, I don't know yet....

[Cleve]

Originally Posted by Earlsays

I'm not sure what I tihnk of them...quite a few of my friends have them...either I like the way they look, or can't stand it. The Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic seem to be pleasing to look at, according to my eyes. All the other brands, especially the super inexpensive low-end stuff just looks HORRID to me.

There is a big difference in quality between those brands and the department store fodder. Pioneer is another high quality brand - reputedly superior to the Panasonics, Samsungs, and Sonys, although I haven't had an opportunity to evaluate one.

[ChrisW6ATV]

Originally Posted by Kiwick

i just can't wait to see how they mate with a brick

That brings back memories, of finding old TV sets in the alleys in our neighborhood in Chicago in the 1970's. It was pretty cool to heave a big rock at a large B&W CRT screen and listen to the "kaboom" (from around the corner where we ran while the rock was in the air, for protection).

[ChrisW6ATV]

Originally Posted by Earlsays

It's a nice TV, however, something just isn't right about it, I can't put my finger on it, but the set is fatigueing to look at after a while...that and they have direct TV, and I can't stand their menu/guide layout at all! I prefer dish...

You have brought up an important point that I tend to forget when people mention "poor non-HD quality on HD sets":

The satellite-TV standard-def picture "quality" is disgusting, absolutely awful.

Both satellite providers base their whole business on providing the bare minimum picture quality in their signals that they can get away with, so that they can offer "more channels" instead. These signals will look bad on any display bigger than 25", and will look especially bad on a digital (LCD, etc.) display. Look at something like the local TV channels rebroadcast over satellite on a display without overscan, and you will see how they literally have higher compression (and extra-bad quality) in the outside edges of the picture, where they figure most TVs are not displaying it. I forgot about this because I have not had satellite TV in two years (and have not had cable TV since 1995). I suspect cable TV, especially digital cable, is not much better.

Before making an opinion of the quality of SD on an HDTV, make sure the signal itself is good. That means the analog output of a DVD or Laser Disc player, or the analog output of a digital TV tuner in non-high-def mode, or even over-the-air NTSC from a real, outdoor antenna properly aimed toward the station, and with the sharpness and any other "enhancements" on the HDTV all turned off. I think most people will be much more happy with an HDTV then, except for the people (and there may be more than a few) who just plain don't want to admit (or accept) that modern technology can look good.

[Kiwick]

Well, this seems to have been the beginning for many of todays vintage TV nuts... when i was a kid i used to tear apart junked TVs to get the speakers, and before leaving i usually smashed the CRT too... so today i have some 500 TV speakers... and just 20-25 complete sets

I began to seriously collect and restore TVs when i was 16 yrs old

Originally Posted by ChrisW6ATV

That brings back memories, of finding old TV sets in the alleys in our neighborhood in Chicago in the 1970's. It was pretty cool to heave a big rock at a large B&W CRT screen and listen to the "kaboom" (from around the corner where we ran while the rock was in the air, for protection).

[Carmine]

I only "KaBoom'ed" the sets I didn't like, lol...

[peverett]

I admit that HDTV does look good-when a proper HDTV signal is received correctly using truly high definition receiver.

The issue is: How reliable is HDTV when everthing is not perfect???. Storms in the area, rainy weather, attennas blowing in the wind, etc. Analog may not be perfect in these situations, but is still usable. I have my doubts about HDTV(based my experience with the HDTV tuner I have).

Remember, everyone in the US does not live in southern California, where the weather is perfect all the time(except during Santa Anna season).

[Jonathan]

From my experience, Directv, Dish, and digital cable have an aweful Sd picture quality. It's compressed to hell and looks like total crap on any tv. The problem is that on LCD and plasma sets the scalars that scale the picture up to the LCD or plasma panel's native resolution is total crap. Even the best scalars are not perfect. LCD and plasma will look good if you have a signal of the same resolution as the native resolution of the panel. I love CRT, and will not own a plasma or LCD for a long time to come, probably never. The picture quality is just better. I love Trinitrons, especially the flat ones. I love Roundies too. CRT just looks better, even when plasma or LCD TVs get a proper source. I hate modern electronics now, they are cheap, throw-away crap. And as for analog broadcasts stopping in 2009, I'm not really that concerned. Other than a few occasions I do watch broadcast TV, I've given up on it totally, because it's pretty much crap. I watch the parades, occasional movies, and occasional specials, but that's it. Get a decent HDTV STB for yourself. They are pretty much the same as digital DVB satellite receivers. They have s-video and composite outputs as well as RF to make your vintage sets happy. Keep those vintage sets going for as long as you can!

Jonathan

[Thyratron]

Originally Posted by Scorpion8

Digital is an artificiality to allow easier storage, cheaper production, and pursuit oif the almighty $.

That is an excellent way to put it, exactly as I was thinking a few minutes ago but couldn't quite put into words. DIGITAL is cheap GARBAGE when compared to the real thing.

[Thyratron]

Originally Posted by radiotvnut

I know I'm sick of all this modern, throw away, non repairable garbage that has done nothing but shut down American TV plants and close TV shops all over the country.

Another excellent point that I couldn't agree with more. It's good to see that most people on this board (but far too few in the general public, unfortunately) continue to support the use of old, repairable, AMERICAN MADE TVs and the people who enjoy and know how to work on them.

[YamahaFreak]

Originally Posted by Thyratron

Another excellent point that I couldn't agree with more. It's good to see that most people on this board (but far too few in the general public, unfortunately) continue to support the use of old, repairable, AMERICAN MADE TVs and the people who enjoy and know how to work on them.

Exactly. I don't think there's a single set on the market today without some kind of surface-mount componentry inside. And the prices you have to pay to replace a whole board when on an older set you could spend a buck on a resistor to get it working.

[Richard D]

You folks would be shocked at the number of PC Board "cores" that we send back to the manufacturer because of the burned SMD you can see. We are an RCA and others service center and I had a board with a burned SMD resistor that I jumped with a 1/8 watt flameproof and the set worked great, but was told to remove it, order the replacement board and make the customer wait 3 weeks for it to arrive. Not to mention the extra cost of shipping and "refurbishing" the board for some other poor guy. BTW the set had been in service about 3 months when the SMD resistor failed.
HURRUMPH!